Taking care
by hermin22
Summary: Hermione helps her Professor.
1. Chapter 1

**Taking care**

Hermione Granger took a deep breath.

Freedom and silence.

Finally! Christmas holidays had begun, and all Weaslys' and Tonks had left headquarters for Christmas shopping. Hermione had insisted upon staying at Grimmaulds Place, for too tempting was the prospect of one quiet afternoon all to herself.

Slowly making her way to the only properly heated room in the house, the living room, the young which was greeted by loud voices shouting in what seemed to be a heated argument. Bracing herself, Hermione opened the door to find her favourite Professor sitting on the couch while Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape occupied the other one, opposite her. Hermione could tell by the way Professor McGonagall was holding herself and the foul mood she was in that she was in pain.

The girl with the brown hair chuckled slightly, seeing how pale Sirius and Professor Snape were. They even looked a bit scared by their former transfiguration teacher. The Headmaster tried bravely to calm his friend, but every attempt to soothe her ended in just another outburst from the annoyed woman.

Unnoticed, Hermione closed the door and shook her head. How could it be that not one of them seemed to see why the older witch was so upset? Not even the all-knowing headmaster?

Stopping her train of thought the girl prepared a cup of Minerva's favourite tea and added a mild pain relief potion. Satisfied with her work she went from the kitchen back to the living room, whilst being careful not to spill the hot, steamy liquid.

As she reached the door she was heading for, Hermione saw a very angry Sirius leaning against the wall, obviously trying to get his emotions back under control.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," he sad as he recognised her.

"Oh, Sirius. Watch and learn." And with a smile and a pat on his back she opened the door, waiting for her friend's godfather to follow her.

Unaffected by the yelling around her, the girl made her way to the older witch and handed her the cup in the middle of the shouting.

"Here, that will help," she said almost tenderly. Minerva was clearly surprised, but seeing her favourite student's knowing and reassuring smile she took it and drank. It had been a very hard day. Her stomach and back were hurting badly, she didn't get much sleep last night, and now she was stuck here with three men, all while desperately trying to hide how she felt. Of course she couldn't fool Hermione! The girl seemed to know her better than anyone else. It was a complete mystery to Minerva how the young witch always knew what to do to make her feel better. Looking up to thank the girl, she was a little disappointed to see that Hermione had already left the room.

Albus Dumbledore watched in amazement how easily Hermione acted around his stern colleague. Wondering what would transpire next, he stared at the door. His young student entered again, this time with a hot water bottle in her hand.

On her way to Minerva, she took a pillow from one of the armchairs, which she placed on the sofa where her teacher was currently drinking her tea.

"Here Professor, lie down. You need some rest," the girl whispered gently.

After a moment of hesitancy Minerva decided to let the young woman take care of her. She really was in no condition to resist any longer and so she lay down obediently. She felt herself being covered with a soft blanket and tucked in. Now Hermione placed the hot water bottle against her abdomen and sat down on the edge of the big sofa.

Minerva moved a little to give her more room, when she was painfully reminded that her back was still hurting.

Feeling her teacher's muscles tense in pain, Hermione started rubbing Minerva's back in soothing circles. The older woman let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes while she searched for Hermione's other hand, already drifting off into a light slumber.

Hermione smiled gently down at her and gave her what she wanted, then turned her head to face Sirius and her Professors, finding them staring at her in utter disbelief. The headmaster was the first to recover and smiled at her, his eyes twinkling madly.

"Now gentlemen, I think we should leave now," he said while ushering the two other men out of the room. Hermione could hear Snape's "teacher pet" and Sirius' "that girl is bloody brilliant" before Professor Dumbledore turned to her with a very serious expression. "Thank you Hermione. It's good to know you are able to take care of her. Please don't stop. She'll need you." And with a last nod he was gone, leaving Hermione with the most important woman in her life.

_Please read and review. It is my first try, so please be honest but nice. __ And thank you to my dear beta readers artemissan09 & Butterfly.Rainbow!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A few weeks later._

It was late afternoon when Minerva McGonagall finally arrived at Grimmauld Place after a long and tiring day at the Ministry. All she longed for was a quiet evening, but her hopes sank as she saw a very distraught Molly Weasly coming downstairs.

„Molly, what..."

„Hermione! Minerva, I swear she is just as stubborn as you are! And don't give me that look, it's true. She is sick. She coughs and I bet she has a slight fever, not that she would let me touch her! She refuses to eat, let alone sleep!"

Minerva held a stilling hand up. "Really Molly, I don't think neither Miss Granger nor I are that difficult. We just don't like being pampered. Please give me the tray and I will take care of her," she said in her best stern teacher's voice.

"Please," the frustrated woman said as she handed the tray over "you can try. She is in the library."

A few minutes later Hermione heard a resolute knock on the door and sighed in frustration. "Please Molly, I already said I'm not hungry!" The young woman knew she sounded angry and that Molly meant well, but honestly! Was it that hard to understand that she was just fine!? She didn't bother looking up when the door opened.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger."

Hearing her mentor's stern voice made the girl look up instantly.

"Oh, Professor! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't expect you!" She took a deep breath. "Good afternoon."

"That's quite all right Miss Granger," she said, a small smile tugging at her mouth. "I brought you something to eat." Seeing her students' apprehensive look she placed the tray she was still holding in her hands on the table and eyed her favourite student carefully. She was not pleased with what she saw. Molly was indeed right about the girl being sick and needing rest.

"Hermione I'm usually more than pleased when people compare the two of us, but in this particular case it serves to cause me a terrible headache." She smiled at her student's blush and added more softly, "I know you don't feel like eating and God knows I'm not a shining example when it comes to reasonable behaviour in periods of sickness, but you need to eat and rest to get better."

She sat down on the big couch beside her pale student and faced her, concern obvious in her green eyes.

"Please, Hermione. I don't expect you to eat much. Just a little bit."

Noticing that her word didn't affect the young woman as much as she hoped, she tried another tactic.

"Please do it for me. I have no desire to explain to Molly why even your head of house can't get you to eat. And moreover do I hate it when she is right." The older witch, all dressed in her usual dark green robes knew Hermione wouldn't refuse her request.

When the young woman beside her started to eat slowly, she stood up to place her outer robes on a nearby armchair, frowning as she heard the girl cough.

One task was done, now she'd have to convince her student to rest.

Taking out her wand, the older witch transfigured one of the armchairs into a stool, which she moved in front of the far end of the sofa on which her student was sitting. She sat down, placed her aching feet on the newly transfigured furniture, summoned a blanket and a pillow and waited for her student to finish her meal.

"Professor, I don't think I can eat any more." Hermione said, wondering if she looked as tired as she felt.

The older woman smiled gently at her. "Very well, then. Now come here and lay down," she said in a soft voice while patting invitingly on the pillow in her lap. The witch chuckled slightly, watching her student as she stared at her, utterly bewildered. "Hermione, I know you hate being in bed during the day, but I want to make sure you take a rest. That's why I thought you could nap right here, but if you don't want me to be with you…" the normally so stern teacher trailed off, suddenly very self-conscious.

"No, Professor. Please, I'd love to rest here with you!" the young witch stated forcefully, before adding shyly, "I just don't want to be a burden. I'm sure you have much to do."

Looking at the girl that found her way so easily into her heart, with a serious expression, she said, "Hermione dear, you'll never be a burden to me, no matter how much work there is to do. I want you to remember that. All right?" She waited for her student's shy nod and patted the pillow once more. This time the young woman lay down obediently, immediately snuggling her face up to her teacher's belly.

If she had looked up, she would have seen a gentle smile on her professor's face, as she wrapped a blanket around her and softly stroked her hair.

Hermione snuggled deeper into the warmth, enjoying the older woman's soothing treatment and was already drifting off into a light slumber, when her mentor whispered "You have a slight fever, my dear. I'll give you a potion for it, before you go to bed."

Feeling her student nodding, the older witch closed her tired eyes as well, enjoying the girl's closeness.

"Professor?" came a muffled whisper.

"Hmhm."

"I love it when people compare us." The young witch said, drifting off to sleep.

"Me too, my dear. Me too." And with that she placed a tender kiss on the sleeping girl's forehead.

- The end -

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